Chapter Text
Conversations with Lydia Scott
"Daddy did you know that Sawyer is named after the epic love triangle of her mom, dad and her mom's bestfriend? Sawyer Brooke Scott."
"No child of mine will have the following names: Chris. Chris. And Chris. The only reason I allowed your brother to be named after my annoying older brother was because I love your mother too much and she loves your uncle. Besides we already have a name for your baby brother and if you're trying to get me to tell you what it is, well it isn't working. It will be a surprise when you finally meet your baby brother. Aren't you excited?"
"I guess."
"Baby brothers are fun. Older brothers are a pain in the a- a pain in your bottoms."
"Are you mad at Uncle Lucas today? Cause I know you don't mean Jaime."
"Yes."
"Why, because he made mama go to LA?"
"Yes. It's been a week. I don't understand why your uncle could be so needy. I told him to get himself his own wife. I told him that Senior Year. He's married now but apparently he still needs his Haley Time. I hate it because your mom is nearing her due date and where is she? In LA, holding your uncle's hand all because he is having an early midlife crisis. If she ends up giving birth in LA while I am stuck here, I don't know Lyds, I might have to ban your uncle here in Tree Hill."
"Jaime wouldn't like that very much."
"See this is why we're best buds."
"I like Uncle Clay better. Uncle Clay is way cuter, too. Mama said so."
"I do not need to hear that kind of stuff, Lyds. Let's just stick to not liking Uncle Lucas so much, okay?"
"Okay. Do you really think Uncle Lucas and Aunt Peyton will get divorced?"
"No, sweetie. They're having a rough patch and sometimes it happens even to the best, most loving couples. Your mom and I almost broke up. Twice. But that happened way before you were born though."
"But it wasn't because you're in love with another woman."
"Your uncle isn't – where'd you get that?"
"I overheard Aunt Peyton talking to Aunt Brooke."
"You overheard or were you listening in on their conversation?"
"I was getting my juice. It's not my fault I can hear their voices in the kitchen."
"How long did it take you to get that juice?"
"I had to drink it, dad."
"I bet. Listen pumpkin, Lucas is not in love with Lindsey. I mean, sure they have a history together-"
"What kind of history?"
"Well, they almost got married and they have been spending a lot of time together on the road to promote Lucas's new book. And I guess it started from there. Your Aunt Peyton thinks the new book is about Lindsey."
"Is it?"
"You'll have to ask your mom."
"Can I read it?"
"Yeah. No. Wait. We'll have to ask your mom about that too."
"Daddy, were you ever attracted to another woman? Do you think it's possible you will ever fall out of love with mama?"
"Lyds, you don't ever have to worry about that. It's not… attracted. Where do you get these words? How old are you, again."
"Daddy, you know how old I am. And you're not answering my question. Mama said you have to always answer my questions."
"You are worse than Jaime when he was your age. I don't get attracted to other women, honey. It's just, like when you see someone who is good-looking and you recognize that. They're gorgeous, yeah. But there is - it does not - I don't feel that tiny little ache inside my chest when I look at your mother. I don't think there will ever be a time when I am not in love with her. When I had not been in love with your mom, I was reckless and arrogant and did not care for anyone else. I didn't like that me. The kind of guy I was without your mom. No one did. And the moment I - when I knew I love her, that I was in love with her, everything just changed. There is just no one else."
"You think mom had ever been attracted to other guys?"
"Lydia, why are you doing this to me? Do you see all these gray hair I am getting from your teenage brother? Do you want to add to all of these?"
"I'm serious Dad. Did you ever thought about it? Wondered about it?"
"No. I mean - I can't. My brain just refuses to go there. I know a lot of men are attracted to your mother. I'm thankful I'm tall enough to stand behind her and give all those fu- all those men a warning glare. But I guess it's the same for me. I mean your mom thinks Clay is cute-"
"She said sexy actually."
"What did I say about not wanting to know these things Lydia? And do you even know what 'sexy' means. No wait. Don't answer that. I don't want to know."
"So you and mom will never fight the way Uncle Lucas and Aunt Peyton are fighting?"
"If you mean will I refuse to come home and deal with our problem, then the answer is no. If your mom and I are fighting – and we do fight, Lyds, I am not going to lie to you about that – we try to work it out however which way possible. When I was seventeen, my parents broke up and they had to go to a therapist and I hated that. I told myself that I will never ever go to a therapist again but when your mom and I were having problems-"
"Cause of the Crazy Nanny?"
"Who told you about that?"
"Uncle Skills."
"No. Look whatever Uncle Skills told you, you forget about it ok."
"Duh, dad! Everyone knows that."
"Do you want to hear this story or not?"
"You're the one who got sidetracked. I don't know why I can't know stuff about the past like the Crazy Nanny or The Uncle Chris Keller."
"Seriously? That's how you call that jack- your mom's friend?"
"Dad!"
"Fine. Ok. So, when we were trying to work things out and your mom wanted us to go to a therapist, I said yes. I didn't even think twice about it. I was going to do whatever it took to get your mom and Jamie back."
"Was it hard, fighting with mama?"
"It is. I hate it when we fight. Especially if we sometimes lose our patience and we get so angry and we say things we don't mean."
"Like when I was annoyed at Jaime for ruining my birthday cake and I told him I wished he wasn't my brother?"
"Yes. Exactly like that. And you immediately regretted it, right?"
"Well, not immediately. But yeah, I get what you mean."
"So when your mom and I are fighting, sometimes we have to take a short break. Like me going to the Rivercourt to play basketball and your mom organizing your Aunt Brooke's kitchen cabinet, because ours is already organized. But after a while we miss each other like crazy and we go running back home to say sorry and talk about the problem and we-"
"Kiss and make up? Tell Jaime to not come home and ask Aunt Brooke to pick me up?"
"Sometimes we just lock the door, you know."
"I don't know what that means. You always lock the doors anyway."
"Right-what was I thinking? I should really be more careful with what I'm saying when we're talking like this. God, I almost walked in on that."
"So are you naming the baby after Uncle Clay?"
"What?! No. Why would you think - wait. Do you know what Clay's middle name is? I can't believe I don't know what his middle name is. Hang on a second. I'm calling Clay."
"Daddy that's really not-"
"What's your middle name? Yes. Hi. How are you. Great. What's your middle name. What do you mean you have none? Just Clayton. That's it? Nothing. Never mind. Yeah. No. She's still in LA. I know. I'm about to pack my bag and go there so I can drag Lucas back here to Tree Hill. I miss her, man. Listen I gotta go. I'm with Lydia. What? When did she say that? No. Haley was just kidding. What? No. No. It was obviously just a joke. Haley does not think you're sexy. Because I said so, that's why."
"Uncle Clay does not have a middle name. But Julian does. Aunt Brooke said Julian is the biggest nerd she had ever met."
"Dam—darn right he is."
"Didn't Julian saved you and Jaime years ago?"
"He did. He never makes me forget about it too. I'll tell you all about it when you're a little bit older. It's way too traumatizing than Carrie and Keller put together."
"Mom also said she would have totally gone to Julian for tutoring if Julian had studied in Tree Hill High. And Aunt Brooke said it would have been a totally different love rectangle plus one whatever that is."
"Tutoring? Your mother said that?! Hold on a minute. I need to make this call. Peyton, hey. How are you doing? Must be kind of weird, staying there with Julian and Brooke. No, I didn't mean anything about that. Jeez. Calm down. Everything is going to be ok. Look, I've been in your situation and the only way to get Lucas back home is Haley. It sucks but that is just the way things are. This is exactly what happened in our senior year, only it was Lucas going behind my back to go to New York so he could talk to Haley and make her come back to Tree Hill. Look what happened after that. Well, forget the in between, just focus on how it ended. Lucas is crazy in love with you and he's just hurt because you would think that he would – okay, wow. Angry much? Anyway look, this is important. Is Julian there? No. Figures he'd be attending that stupid convention. Nerd. Would you happen to know if Andrew is Julian's middle name? It is?! Unbelievable. Are you serious?! You have got to be kidding me. Nothing. It's nothing. Look I gotta go. Talk to you soon and just hang in there, alright."
"So Andrew, huh? But we can't call him Andy. It will be confusing because Lily's dad is already Andy. Do we call him Drew, Daddy?"
"No. We are not calling him Drew. And I'm calling your mother. You stay right there and you're going to tell her exactly what you told me about that strange shape thing."
"The rectangle plus one?"
"Yes. That. Hello? Haley James? Yes. You're in trouble. Big trouble. Here, talk to your daughter. She has a lot of things to tell you. And then we'll talk. Oh and by the way, I love you."